Odd-even paves way for 14 new CNG pumps in Noida

Noida | Jan 31: The district administration has initiated the process of granting licences for 14 new CNG filling stations in Noida. This is being done to make clean fuel easily available to residents and office-goers.

Currently, there are 19 CNG stations in Noida, which provide 1.5 lakh kg CNG catering to about 35,000 to 40,000 customers every day. Data reveals only 40% of the capacity of each station in Noida is useddaily. However, there has been a spike in demand recently as many residents are switching to CNG vehicles since the odd-even rule was enforced in Delhi. Hence, the plan is to set up CNG stations in areas which don't have one.

Madhav Raman, coordinating officer of Indraprastha Gas Limited (IGL), said the firm will cope with the initial surge in demand, which would be around 25,000kg fuel per day.

N P Singh, district magistrate, said Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) will get permits to set up 10 units. Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited will set up two stations each. "We will issue the NOCs for operation by Monday. And, hopefully the stations will start operating by March," Singh said.

He said a few units will be set up at the existing petrol pumps, while others will come up at new locations. CNG fuel stations may also come up on the Noida-Greater Noida expressway and Yamuna expressway, which are used by thousands of commuters every day. A study is being conducted at present to identify spots where CNG stations could be set up.

Officials said the city houses hundreds of factories and multinational companies with a huge workforce. The idea is to encourage office-goers and residents to endorse environment-friendly CNG vehicles.

Since the enforcement of the odd-even rule in Delhi, many people in Noida, who travel to the Capital, have started switching to CNG vehicles. The transport department has been regularly receiving requests from daily commuters to fix a CNG kit in their car. In January the ARTO granted fitness certificates to around 300 applicants who had sought to fix a CNG kit in their cars from authorised centres.

"CNG is a cheap and environment-friendly fuel as compared to petrol and diesel. We have received several requests for conversion of petrol and diesel vehicles to CNG in the past one month," said Rachna Yaduvanshi, ARTO (administration) Noida.

Residents also welcomed the move. "In the last few months we learned that the city's air quality has become poor. It is our responsibility to contribute in saving the environment by using environment-friendly fuel," said Mohit Kumar, a resident of Sector 35.